http://drr.vau.ac.lk/handle/123456789/272 Vavuniya University International Research Conference 2026-04-04T08:00:19Z http://drr.vau.ac.lk/handle/123456789/505 WOMEN AND POLITICS: A STUDY OF THE CHALLENGES FACED BY WOMEN IN LOCAL GOVERNANCE Thoradeniya, K. While Sri Lankan women’s social, economic and health status have improved significantly in recent past, women remain under-represented in the political arena especially at local governance level. Even the women who are in the local level politics seem not to have a voice in many issues in the local level. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to examine the challenges faced by women who are in local politics, in portraying their active political role. This research was done based on the Kuruwita and Ehaliyagode pradeshiya sabaha in Rathnapura district. 17 women representatives came under the purview of the study. The semi structured interview method was used as the main data collection technique accompanied with secondary data such as research outcomes on gender and ageing and the reports of the two pradeshiya sabha. The data was analyzed using thematic analysis method. According to the findings of the study at the institutional level, influence of senior politicians, lack of opportunity to develop knowledge and personality, influence of party leadership, and violent political culture were the main challenges that they have to face. This study revealed that these challenges were further accompanied by the domestic challenges which discouraged most women in engaging politics in the local level. Mainly cultural factors play a massive role in creating barriers against women at both institutional and domestic levels. Therefore, this study recommends a massive revolution in the education sector in order to change the structured system as to how social needs are fulfilled and to form a society that respects equality and human rights. 2021-10-15T00:00:00Z http://drr.vau.ac.lk/handle/123456789/504 THE INFLUENCE OF COVID-19 ON PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION: A PERSPECTIVE FROM SRI LANKAN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRIES Mathivathany, S.; Priyadharshini, S. The major function of the construction industry is to build infrastructure. The new Coronavirus 2019 is a highly infectious respiratory illness that has subsequently spread to a global pandemic. The study’s goal was to figure out how the COVID-19 epidemic will affect construction project delivery in the Sri Lanka. The research drew 16 project managers from the construction sector as participants. The outcomes of the study indicated that the COVID-19 epidemic has a substantial impact on the projects implementation in the construction industry. According to the study’s results, the pandemic resulted in a shortage of access to raw materials and manpower, causing project completion to be delayed. The construction sector has been a victim of COVID-19 to the point that it has halted projects and severely reduced the market of its beneficiaries, according to the research. Construction projects cannot allow distance working that make barrier on-time delivery and putting the construction industry at danger. 2021-10-15T00:00:00Z http://drr.vau.ac.lk/handle/123456789/503 RISKS ON THE PROJECT INVESTMENT IN SRI LANKA Mathivathany, S.; Priyadharshini, S.; Bandara, G. Risks must be managed to continue the project successfully. Objectives of this research were to identify risks in a project, measure probability of risk occurring, study the impact of risk and analyze responses for mitigating risks. 10 local projects were selected as the sample for data collection. The research was conducted through case study analysis by interviewing one team member from each project. As the conclusion, the possible risks were running out of materials (medium probability), natural disasters (high probability), objection of residents (high probability), running out of finance (medium probability), getting infected by diseases (high probability) and unawareness among beneficiaries (medium probability). Their impacts were delaying the activities, halting activities temporarily, stopping the project permanently, halting tasks until sufficient finance is gathered, halting tasks until team members recover from diseases and unable to get beneficiary support to continue the project respectively. Mitigation responses were having a flexible layout plan, establishing an early warning and monitoring system, conducting programmes to explain benefits, revising the financial plan, ensuring the beneficiaries are free of diseases and conducting awareness programmes for beneficiaries respectively. 2021-10-15T00:00:00Z http://drr.vau.ac.lk/handle/123456789/502 PROJECT COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN PUBLIC SECTOR PROJECT - BASED ORGANIZATIONS Mathusha, M.; Thirugnanasampanthar, S. Project communication management comprises a set of processes required to manage the information needs of the project and its stakeholders are performed through effective information exchange. Increasing nature of community projects in public sector project-based organizations require project managers and team to effectively manage their communication with project stakeholders as it increases the level of the project success by satisfying different expectations of the stakeholders. In Vavuniya district, stakeholders, particularly the public are disappointed about the results of some recent projects since they have not solved the problems of the expected beneficiaries, therefore, the research explores the project communication management practices. The study adopted a qualitative approach with interviews and focus group discussions to primary data collection in purposefully selected public sector organizations and public. The findings confirm PCM practices in public sector projects and how they are connected with the performance of the projects. Implications are imminent through the inclusion of the vulnerable and dealing with project communication management challenges. 2021-10-15T00:00:00Z